Modern technology allows for many of us to have access to almost every fruit and vegetable at any given time of the year. Canning, dehydrating, freezing, and refrigeration are all techniques that offer the ability to transport items across states and countries. Preserving foods is not a modern idea by any means. Canning dates back to the early 1800’s, and curing meats has been method of preserving foods for centuries.
What’s modern is the ability to freeze and transport foods. If you walk down the freezer section of your local grocery story you can find summer berries, tropical fruits, winter root vegetables, any time of the year. No matter where you are located you have the option to find variety regardless of season, and if you have access to the internet you can probably even have food delivered to your doorstep. The question that seems to be haunting most people is, ‘are frozen foods unhealthy?’, and today we’re here to solve this mystery!
No, frozen unseasoned fruits and vegetables aren’t any less healthy than fresh. If you’re buying a plain bag of peas and carrots, then it’s pretty much the same thing as fresh peas and carrots. Of course, if you’re buying frozen pre-seasoned potatoes, the nutritional value of the potato varies because there are other ingredients in the mix.
Why would I buy frozen over fresh?
There are many reasons why you should actually buy frozen goods over fresh. For one, if time is of the essence for you we recommend purchasing a bag of frozen fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables without having to cut and prep food yourself, or worry about them rotting in your fridge if you don’t have time to cook them right away.
Another reason someone may actually want to buy frozen over fresh is depending on the time of the year or their location. If you’re located in a mountain town in the dead of winter, chances are there aren’t fresh berries growing in the garden. If you do find fresh berries at the store consider where they came from, and how long it took the berries to get there. Frozen foods are frozen at their peak nutrition time, immediately after they are harvested. The rate the food loses nutritional value is a lot slower, than food not frozen at the time of harvest. Think about it, if you have blueberries sitting on your kitchen counter in the middle of a heat wave, they’ll be moldy in two days. If you freeze those same blueberries, they last a lot longer, and so does the nutritional value of the fruit.
When should I buy fresh fruits?
Buy fresh with the seasons! Buying foods that are in seasons are the best way to find the most nutritional value out of any food item. If it’s summer time grab some watermelon, if it’s fall add in pumpkin! Pay attention to the time of year and what produce is naturally growing. Not only do you find the most nutritionally rich foods this way, but you also save money. Have you ever tried to buy fresh strawberries in the winter? If you haven’t, we don’t recommend starting. Fresh is best, when it’s in season!
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